Biblical Polygamy

Not Marry Sisters

"Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her,
to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time."
Leviticus 18:18.

Occasionally, some people confuse this simple
verse to assert it as "proof" of some prohibition
of polygamy.

Actually, however, it proves just the opposite!

This verse simply prohibits a man from marrying
two sisters while both of them are alive. Moreover, the
phrase, "beside the other", in that verse, rather
emphatically makes it clear that this is speaking
in terms of the man being married to them at the same time.

The fact that this verse is even instructed actually PROVES
that polygamy is otherwise a valid marriage possibility!

After all, if polygamy was really a sin anyway,
it would be completely irrelevant and unnecessary to
specify a prohibition against marrying sisters anyway!
That is, if it was truthfully a sin for a man to marry
more than one wife anyway,
then OBVIOUSLY he would not be able to marry two sisters
beside each other in their lifetime!

It is additionally important to also note something about
the previous verse (not listed here, Leviticus 18:17)
and its relevance to this verse 18 here.
Namely, the previous verse 17 prohibits a man from
uncovering the nakedness of a mother and her daughter.
That is also, by such implied instruction, clearly also
meaning that it is a prohibition from marrying both mother
and her daughter. That makes that also another proof
that polygamy is Biblical by the fact of it even
being instructed.

But even beyond that, whereas that previous verse 17
only spells the matter out as being "not uncovering the
nakedness" of a mother and her daughter, this verse 18
here is even more explicit.

Namely,
this verse 18 even more explicitly
includes the word "WIFE". A man shall not
take sisters TO WIFE beside each other in their lifetime.
This makes it even
more explicitly clear that this is talking about a man
marrying more than one WIFE, just not being allowed
to marry sisters while they're both alive.

Therefore, this is a very clear and simple prohibition ---but
not against polygamy. Rather, the instruction is clear that
men may not marry sisters beside each other
while they're both alive.

Thus, this verse is actually another
clear PROOF that polygamy really is Biblical!